


What was left?

by HyourinmaruIce



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: In a way, Kinda like a Pearl origin story, Other, Other - Freeform, Rebellion, War, based on fan theory, beginning, origin, pearls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-28
Updated: 2015-04-28
Packaged: 2018-03-26 04:53:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3837793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HyourinmaruIce/pseuds/HyourinmaruIce
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a Pearl origin story in a way. It takes the fan theories (Pearls being a mass produced gem, Peridots replacing Pearls) and combines them into one story. I added some of my own theories (the idea that Pearls were categorized based on the type of Pearl they were). It starts WAY before the rebellion, and ends when Peridot arrived. It's short, and just briefly skims over certain parts, but I think I did it justice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What was left?

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone can find the story about Peridot being the replacement for Pearl, I'd like to link it because it was a great head canon and I'd like to give the proper credit.

            It took a while for Pearl to get used to living alone. On home world, other Pearls doing other things had always surrounded her. They slept together, ate together, got stronger together, and now they were gone. She wasn’t sure what to do without them. Sure, she went about her basic duties, but nothing had the zest of life to it when there weren’t others facing the same problems.  
            Not that she wanted that for anyone. In fact, she was happy that her unit had all received assignments. Occasionally, one or two were left out and they were… not appreciated anymore. There was no heartbreak this way.

            Pearls all pretended to feel nothing, but it was there. In the back of their gems and minds. They wanted to do what the others gems got to do; it wasn’t fair to be stuck in an endless cycle of war and orders. The whispered words happening about a retreated Pearl, when no other gem was looking, all spoke of revolt.

            No one would ever revolt. So her unit was split, half going to work for Yellow Diamond and the other half somewhere else. All but her, she was the lone attendee to go to Earth.

            Rose Quartz greeted her.

            “You’re my new sentry and tactician?”

            Her voice was beautiful. Pearl had heard other voices, other gems talking and laughing, but Rose Quartz did it elegantly. There was always a note of charm there, something that Pearl clung to when she was left alone in the status room looking at the future kindergarten’s updates.

            The kindergarten was horrible. She felt the future vibrations of the machines in her chest, clawing their way into her heart, sinking into soil and rocks that left the planet barren where before it had been a luscious green. What could a lone Pearl do?

* * *

 

            Years go by and Rose Quartz directs Pearl to sabotage, “You’ll keep it a secret won’t you? I realize Pearls have to do what they’re told on home world, but you can make a choice here. You’re perfectly capable of saying no.”

            She had a choice? Pearl examined the kindergarten update, to be started up after a thousand years. It wasn’t very long, but it was some time to prepare. She clung to the words Rose had given her, a choice was a delicate thing and Pearl was going to make the right one.

            “Why would I say no?”

* * *

 

            Rose makes Pearl feel confident, separate from the other Pearls all standing in columns across the gully. Home world had sent more; the recent acts of sabotage in the kindergarten being a cause for concern. Rose merely told them that a gem was trying to start an uprising, that she might need more Pearls for sentry after all (she’d declined more than one the first time).

            And Pearl went to work. She whispered into the right commanders’ ears, slipped fake orders to just the right people, and silently slipped messages to her comrades. Pearls were one being on home world; they existed together because loneliness struck when they were apart.

            Every Pearl that came was in the same squad. They were her training squad, the one where she felt at home and… loved even. When Rose had first brought up the idea of rebellion, the first thing Pearl had done was contact the other Pearls. The other deficient ones that lacked something every other squad had (that’s how they categorized them after all. Different kinds stayed together, trained together, and the deficient ones loved together).

            Rose grinned when Pearl ran, jumped the gully, and embraced the closest one.

            “Pearl pile!” The smallest one shouted, grabbing a nearby taller one and throwing them into the already existing hug. Fifty Pearls, fifty members of a family, there was no way they’d lose.

* * *

 

            Rose and Pearl grew closer, talking and laughing like old friends and seeing each other eye to eye. The others noticed, but they were happy, laughing and talking of what ways they could sabotage something without it being obvious. Who cared what a lone Pearl did when they were all in this together?

            Pearl was left to plan things out, the first rebellion in gem history at her fingertips. The first time to be appreciated without some commander stating that was her purpose. She felt giddy, a rush to her cheeks every time she thought about Rose and her plan. The flawless plan that Rose had devised and Pearl was going to help put into action.

            However, Pearl hummed to herself, they would need more than just Pearls to get this job done. Whispering her way into the home world capital, she recruited people. Rose would have been proud of her, Pearl thought giddily, taking initiative like this.

            A red gem named Ruby came along, disliking it when older and bigger gems stood over smaller beings and pretended to be better. A blue gem named Sapphire came, though her reasons were her own and Pearl didn’t wish to pry. Others, some only consequentially, and others more on their own accord, came with ideas and thoughts. Slowly, the army of Rose Quartz grew.

            Rose was very happy with Pearl, but she had one thing to talk about before they could start a rebellion, she had to stay there. She had to stay and defend the humans that were little more than apes.

            Pearl understood, and Pearl would stand beside her, the first gem to care and appreciate her abilities. Staying on earth forever would mean nothing if it was with Rose.

* * *

 

            Their rebellion became a war.

            And almost everyone she’d ever loved died.

* * *

 

            It took a long time to realize she would never see another Pearl again, because it wasn’t until Peridot (Peridots had been mindless workers before, but this one was smart and sophisticated. This one was trained in combat tactics using robots as her guides) showed up that she realized they’d stopped the Pearl program. Stopped it because of her, because of the army she’d raised of any gem willing to fight for a good cause. She’d done this; she had wiped out the singular strongest army in the entire gem-controlled universe. 

            When Steven slept that evening, Pearl cried.


End file.
